York’s city centre came alive on Friday 27 June as Honey Thief, a daring new drinks brand from Yorkshire, officially launched its hard honey range at an exclusive VIP party.
Held at The Hooting Owl Distillery, the event welcomed guests from across the region, including press, influencers and cocktail lovers, all keen to sample the UK’s first range of ‘hard honey’ drinks.
The evening featured creative cocktails mixed by five-time world bartending champion Jamie Stephenson, who worked with Honey Thief’s bold new liqueurs and sparkling cans to showcase their versatility and flavour.
Ahead of the launch, the brand set the tone with a playful twist. Their mascot, Arthur the Bear, was spotted roaming York city centre during the day, offering locals the chance to earn a spot at the party by snapping a selfie and posting it to Instagram.
Made using fermented European honey, Honey Thief’s drinks are crafted in Yorkshire with sustainability in mind. The brand offers four liqueur flavours – Pure Honey, Elderflower Nectar, Sour Cherry and Blueberry & Blackcurrant – along with matching sparkling ready-to-drink cans.
Among the evening’s standout serves were the Honey Thief Gooseberry Cool, a sparkling gooseberry and apple cocktail with elderflower honey liqueur, and the Botanical Buzz, a thyme-infused gin punch using the brand’s sparkling Elderflower variant.
Jamie Stephenson said: “Being part of the Honey Thief launch has been an incredible experience. From the very first taste, I knew this was something special. The balance of natural sweetness and depth from the fermented honey is unlike anything else on the market.”
Robert Taylor, sales director at Honey Thief, added: “The response to the launch has been incredible. People are excited by something new, natural and playful and Honey Thief ticks every box. We’re proud to be putting Yorkshire on the map with a product that’s sweet, silky and just a little bit wild.”
Honey Thief is now available at www.honeythief.co.uk and on Amazon, with wider UK distribution planned over the summer.
